Gods
The Encyclopedic Glossary describes twelve gods who were worshiped by the Kiünnat and latter by the Inrithi. While the Kiünnat understand these as seprate Gods, the Inrithi see "the individual deities... as Aspects of the God."Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 453 'Inrithism' Ajokli, God of thievery and deception Though listed among the primary Gods in ‘’The Chronicle of the Tusk’’, there is no true Cult of Ajokli, but rather an informal network of devotees scattered across the great cities of the Three Seas. Ajokli is oft mentioned in the secondary scriptures of the different Cults, sometimes as a mischievous companion of the Gods, other times as a cruel or malicious competitor. In the Mar’eddat, he is the faithless husband of Gierra.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 407 'Ajokli' Akkeägni, God of disease Also known as the God of a Thousand Hands. Scholars have oft noted the irony that the Priesthood of Disease provides the primary repository of physicians for the Three Seas. How can one at once worship disease and war against it? According to the scriptures of the Cult, the Piranavas, Akkeägni is a so-called Bellicose God, one who favours those who strive against him over sycophants and worshippers.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 408 'Akkeägni' Some of Akkeägni's priests bear tattoos. They also use small prayer chimes which sound thanks to Akkeägni.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch. 19, p. 563 Anagkë, Goddess of fortune Also known as “the Whore of Fate” Anagkë is one of the primary “Compensatory Gods,” which is to say, one who rewards devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife. Her Cult is extremely popular in the Three Seas, especially among the higher, political castes.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 410 'Anagkë' According to Kiünnat tradition, Anagkë is the younger sister of Bukris.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 421 'Bukris' Anagkë is also commonly called the Whore,Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 500 'Whore, the' or the Whore of Fate.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch. 5, p. 141 Anagkë also seems to be associated with some celestial body. In the text a star is said to have “entered the horizon of Anagke.” The augur calls this “an excellent conjunction.”The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch. 5, p. 141 Bukris, God of famine As one of the so-called Punitive Gods, who command sacrifices through threat and the imposition of suffering, Bukris has no real Cult or priesthood. According to Kiünnat tradition, Bukris is the older brother of Anagkë, which is why Anagkean Cultic Priests typically administer the rites of propitiation during times of hunger.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 421 'Bukris' Gierra, Goddess of carnal passion One of the so-called Compensatory Gods, who reward devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife, Gierra is very popular throughout the Three Seas, particularly among aging men drawn to the “aphrodisica,” Cubic nostrums reputed to enhance virility. In the Higarata, the collection of subsidiary writings that form the scriptural core of the Cults, Gierra is rarely depicted with any consistency, and is often cast as a malign temptress, luring men to the luxury of her couch, often with fatal consequences.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 444 'Gierra' In the Mar’eddat, she is wife of the faithless Ajokli.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 407 'Ajokli' Priestesses of Gierra tattoo their limbs (in inscriptions?), and cover their bodies with oil.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch. 3, p. 103 Part of their duties is to have sex with male worshipers.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch. 11, p. 331 Sumni harlots must have the Sign of Gierra, twin serpents, tattooed on the back of their left hand, apparently in imitation of the Priestesses of Gierra.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 487 'Sign of Gierra' Gilgaöl, God of war and conflict One of the so-called Compensatory Gods, who reward devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife, Gilgaöl is perhaps the most popular of the Hundred Gods. In the Higarata, the collection of subsidiary writings that form the scriptural core of the Cults, Gilgaöl is depicted as harsh and sceptical of Men, continually demanding proof of worth from those who would follow him. Though subordinate to the Thousand Temples, the Gilgallic Cult boasts nearly as many priests, and perhaps receives more in the way of sacrificial donations.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 444 'Gilgaöl' Gilgaöl is also commonly called the Shield-Breaker.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 485 'Shield-Breaker, the' At least some priests of Gilgaöl are hereditary. The priests took part in the celebration of Ikurei Conphas’s victory over the Scylvendi: :"In accordance with custom, the hereditary priests of Gilgaol brought basins of water. As Conphas expected, they smeared lion’s blood on his limbs and, muttering prayers, cleansed his symbolic wounds."The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch. 7, p. 195 They also sacrifice dogs and lions for the sake of those at war. At least in one case, the hide of a lion was retained by the offerer.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch. 7, p. 208 Husyelt, God of the hunt One of the so-called Compensatory Godss, who reward devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife, Husyelt comes after only Yatwer and Gilgaöl in Cultic popularity, particularly in the Middle-North. In the Higarata, the collection of subsidiary writings that form the scriptural core of the Cults, Husyelt is depicted as the most anthropocentric of the Hundred Gods, as intent upon enabling his worshippers as he is upon securing their obedience and devotion. The Cult of Husyelt is rumoured to be extraordinarily wealthy, and high-ranking members of the Husyeltic priesthood often possess as much political clout as Shrial apparati.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 451 'Husyelt' Husyelt is also commonly called the Dark Hunter and the Stalker.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 436 'Dark Hunter, the'; p. 491 'Stalker, the' After cursing, some superstitious people, counter by making "the sign of Husyelt."The Darkness That Comes Before, Prologue, p. 10 Jukan, God of sky and season One of the so-called Compensatory Gods, who reward devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife, Jukan rivals Yatwer in popularity among subsistence farmers yet is scarcely represented in major urban centres. The priests of Jukan are readily recognizable by their blue-dyed skin. The Marjukari, an extreme ascetic branch of the Jukanic Cult, are notorious for living as hermits in the mountains.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 456 'Jukan' During the mass migration to Momemn before the Holy War, priests of Jukan led people "singing soft hymns and clinking finger cymbals."The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch 10, p. 276 Juru, God of virility and fertility One of the so-called Compensatory Gods, who reward devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife, Juru is popular among aging caste-noble men, and possesses only a handful of temples, most of them found in major cities. It is often mocked as the Mistress Cult.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 456 'Juru' Momas, God of storms, seas, and chance One of the so-called Compensatory Gods, who reward devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife, Momas is the primary deity worshipped by seamen and merchants, and is the patron divinity of Cironj (and to a lesser extent Nron). In the Higarata, he is depicted as cruel, even malicious, and obsessed with minute matters of propriety—leading some commentators to suggest he is in fact a Bellicose, as opposed to a Compensatory, God. His primary device is the White Triangle on Black (representing the Shark’s Tooth worn by all devotees of Momas).Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 467 'Momas' During storms, Nroni sailors wail and supplicat themselves to Momas.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch 3, p. 75 Additionally, some Nroni fishermen attribute a good catch to Momas.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch 4, p. 119 During the Feast of Kussapokari, which marked the summer solstice, some in Momemn celebrate on pleasure galleys, where "the first swallow was spat into the sea a propitiation to Momas, the God who provided the ground of the proceedings.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch 19, p. 575 Onkis, Goddess of hope and aspiration One of the so-called Compensatory Gods, who reward devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife, Onkis draws followers from all walks of life, though rarely in great numbers. She is only mentioned twice in the Higarata, and in the (likely apocryphal) Parnishtas she is portrayed as a prophetess, not of the future, but of the motivations of Men. The so-called “shakers” belong to an extreme branch of the Cult, where the devotees ritually strive to be “possessed” by the Goddess. Her symbol is the Copper Tree (which also happens to be the device of the legendary Nonman Mansion of Siol, though no link has been established).Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 475 'Onkis' Onkis is also called the Singer-in-rhe-Dark.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch 4, p. 121 In the Irreüma in Sumna, her idol was: :"worked in white marble, eyes closed with the sunken look of the dead. At first glance she appeared to be the severed head of a woman, beautiful yet vaguely common, mounted on a pole. Anything more than a glance, however, revealed the pole to be a miniature tree, like those cultivated by the ancient Norsirai, only worked in bronze. Branches poked through her parted lips and swept across her face—nature reborn through human lips. Other branches reached behind to break through her frozen hair"The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch 4, p. 122 The idol also had "a small trough gouged from her pedestal" for food offerings.The Darkness That Comes Before, Ch 4, p. 122 Yatwer, Goddess of fertility One of the so-called Compensatory Gods, who reward devotion in life with paradise in the afterlife, Yatwer is far and away the most popular Cultic deity among caste-menials (as Gilgaöl is among caste-nobles). In the Higarata, the collection of subsidiary writings that form the scriptural core of the Cults, Yatwer is depicted as a beneficent, all-forgiving matron, capable of seeding and furrowing the fields of nations with a single hand. Some commentators have noted that Yatwer is anything but revered in either the Higarata or The Chronicle of the Tusk (wherein “tillers of soil” are often referred to with contempt). Perhaps this is why Yatwerians tend to rely on their own scripture, the Sinyatwa, for their liturgical rites and ceremonies. Despite the vast numbers of adherents enjoyed by the Cult, it remains one of the more impoverished, and seems to generate a large number of zealous devotees as a result.Encyclopedic Glossary, p. 502 'Yatwer'